Das Residenzschloss Geyerswörth ist ein ehemaliges Stadtschloss in der Bamberger Altstadt. Es ist nach der Familie Geyer aus Nürnberg benannt. Im Jahr 1313 errichtete die Patrizierfamilie Geyer hier ein Stadtpalais und gab damit dem Ort seinen heutigen Namen. Im Jahr 1585/1586 siedelte die Familie nach Nürnberg über und überließ das Gebäude dem damaligen Bamberger Fürstbischof Ernst von Mengersdorf das Gebäude.

Geschichte

Nach 1585/1586 ließ der Fürtsbischof Ernst von Mengersdorf das Anwesen der Familie Geyer umbauen und errichtete das heutige Schloss im Stil der Renaissance.

Im Jahr 1580 fiel – nach vorherigen Teilaufkäufen seit der Regierungszeit des Fürstbischofs Veit II. von Würtzburg – das Gelände wie auch das Schloss der Familie Geyer an das Hochstift Bamberg.

Fürstbischof Johann Georg I. Zobel von Giebelstadt (regierte von 1557 bis 1580) ließ südlich des Schlosses einen heute nicht mehr vorhandenen Park anlegen. Von diesem Park zeugt heute nur noch das Gärtnerhaus in Massiv- und Fachwerkkonstruktion, das als Studentenwohnheim im Mühlviertel genutzt wird.

Nach Umbau im Stile der Renaissance unter Einbeziehung des Altbaues diente das Gebäude als Stadtsitz der Fürstbischöfe; als Bauherr gilt Fürstbischof Ernst von Mengersdorf (Wappen außen an der Südwestseite). Es war wohl bis zum Ende der Bauarbeiten an der Neuen Residenz Hauptsitz der regierenden Bischöfe. Im Innenhof ist am Brunnen das Wappen des Bamberger Fürstbischofs Marquard Sebastian Schenk von Stauffenberg zu sehen.

Nach Beendigung der Bauarbeiten am Domberg fand das Schloss großteils als Verwaltungsgebäude Verwendung. Nach dem Einsturz der beiden Renaissancegiebel an der Nordseite in den 1740er Jahren erhielt es sein heutiges Aussehen.

Das Schloss wird von Behörden der Stadt Bamberg genutzt.



Residenzschloss Geyersworth

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Die Neue Residenz ist ein mehrflügeliges denkmalgeschütztes Gebäude am Domplatz im oberfränkischen Bamberg. Es war ab 1602 die Residenz der Bamberger Fürstbischöfe und löste die Alte Hofhaltung auf der anderen Seite des Platzes in dieser Funktion ab. Heute beherbergt der Komplex aus Sandstein die Staatsbibliothek und die Staatsgalerie von Bamberg. Vom Rosengarten der Neuen Residenz hat man einen Blick auf die Michaelskirche und die Dächer der Bürgerstadt.

Geschichte

Die Neue Residenz entstand mit ihrer vierflügeligen Aufteilung in zwei Bauabschnitten. Als Erstes wurde unter Fürstbischof Johann Philipp von Gebsattel ab 1602 der hintere zweiflügelige Teil im Renaissancestil und zwischen 1697 und 1703 unter Fürstbischof Lothar Franz von Schönborn mit Hilfe von Leonhard Dientzenhofer der vordere barocke Teil gebaut. Ab 1803 war sie königliche Residenz.

Seit 1803

Am 1. Juni 1815 wurde die Bamberger Residenz Schauplatz einer der letzten Episoden der napoleonischen Ära: Louis-Alexandre Berthier, ein Marschall Napoleons, fand dort durch Sturz aus einem der oberen Fenster den Tod. Er wählte den Freitod, weil er der anmarschierenden russischen Armee nicht in die Hände fallen wollte. Eine Gedenktafel in der Mitte der Residenzstraße erinnert an das Ereignis.

Die Residenz diente dem abgedankten griechischen Königspaar Otto I. und Amalie von 1862 bis 1867 bzw. 1875 als Exil.

Noch ein weiteres Mal war die Neue Residenz für kurze Zeit Schauplatz der bayerischen Geschichte, als die gewählte Regierung 1919 unter Ministerpräsident Hoffmann und der Landtag nach Bamberg auswichen. Die erste demokratische bayerische Verfassung wurde im Spiegelsaal der Harmonie am Schillerplatz verabschiedet.

Heutige Nutzung

Schauräume

Es gibt mehr als 40 Prunkräume,[1] wie den Marmorsaal, das Spiegelzimmer (jeweils mit Stuckaturen von Antonio Bossi) und den Kaisersaal.[2] Der Kaisersaal befindet sich im zweiten Obergeschoss des Mitteltraktes. Er wurde 1707/1709 von Melchior Steidl mit Decken- und Wandgemälden ausgestattet. Motive sind Medaillons mit römischen Kaisern, den antiken vier Weltreichen, eine zentrale Deckendarstellung des Guten Regiments, der Wissenschaften (vertreten durch Putti) sowie 16 überlebensgroße Kaiserbildnisse. Die Decke ist als Trompe-l’œil ausgeführt.

Staatsbibliothek
Im Ostflügel der Neuen Residenz befindet sich die Staatsbibliothek Bamberg.

Staatsgalerie

Die Staatsgalerie in der Neuen Residenz ist eine Zweiggalerie der Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen. Zu den berühmtesten Gemälden der Sammlung gehört Hans Baldung Griens Gemälde Die Sintflut.

Rosengarten

Der Rosengarten zwischen den Flügeln der Residenz ist ein Erholungsort für Einheimische und Gäste der Stadt. Er gewährt nach Osten einen Blick über die Stadtlandschaft und zu den Jurahöhen.

Vor der Anlage des Rosengartens gab es im 16. Jahrhundert auf dem Gelände einen Renaissancegarten, der im Jahr 1733 unter Fürstbischof Friedrich Carl von Schönborn in einen Barockgarten umgewandelt wurde. Die Planung des Gartens wurde dem Baumeister Balthasar Neumann übertragen. Von dem Baumeister Johann Jakob Michael Küchel stammt der Gartenpavillon im Stil des Rokoko. Die Skulpturen aus dem Themenkreis der antiken Mythologie (Entstehungsjahre 1760 und 1761) stammen von Ferdinand Tietz.

Auf den von Buchshecken eingefassten Beeten blühen 4500 Rosen. Ein Erinnerungsmal für Otto I. und seine Gemahlin Amalie mit einer Inschrift in griechischer und deutscher Sprache befindet sich in einem Blendbogen der Mauer.

Neue Residenz (Bamberg)

Die Alte Hofhaltung ist ein historischer Gebäudekomplex in Bamberg. Sie besteht aus ehemaligen Wohn- und Wirtschaftsgebäuden der bischöflichen Hofhaltung, die ab dem 15. Jahrhundert an der Stelle der Pfalz Kaiser Heinrichs II. errichtet wurden.

Die Vorbebauung der Alten Hofhaltung war das Castrum Babenberg, die ehemalige Pfalz Kaiser Heinrichs II. und umfasste wohl auch seit der Bistumsgründung 1007 den Wohnsitz des Bischofs. Nachdem die Bauten am Domberg fertiggestellt worden waren, stand die Alte Hofhaltung, die in ihrem Kern noch Reste von Palas und Kapelle aus dem 11. Jahrhundert enthält, zwischen Dom im Süden und der Neuen Residenz im Norden. Nach dem Umzug des Fürstbischofs in einen neuen Palast wurden die Gebäude als Kanzlei, Bibliothek und Ratsstube verwendet. Heute ist dort das Historische Museum der Stadt und im Henneberg-Flügel die Dombauhütte untergebracht. Im Sommer finden im Innenhof die Calderon-Festspiele statt.

Geschichte

Nach dem Tod von Adalbert von Babenberg aus dem Hause der Popponen wurden dessen Lehensgüter Besitz der Krone und verblieben dort bis zum Jahr 973. In diesem Jahr kamen sie als Lehen an Herzog Heinrich den Zänker.

In der Zeit als Kronbesitz wurde das Castrum auch als Staatsgefängnis genutzt. Hier wurden der abgesetzte König von Italien und Markgraf von Ivrea Berengar II. und seine Gemahlin festgesetzt.

Aus der Zeit Kaiser Heinrichs II. ist die Weihinschrift der Thomaskapelle erhalten geblieben. Aus ihr geht hervor, dass im Jahr 1020 Papst Benedikt VIII. diese Kapelle zu Ehren Mariens und St. Thomas weihte.

Aus dem 11. Jahrhundert stammte auch die nicht mehr existierende Kapelle St. Andreas. An dieser Stelle hat sich der Legende nach Kaiserin Kunigunde dem Gottesurteil mit dem Gang über glühende Pflugscharen unterworfen. Zu den Ergebnissen der Ausgrabungen siehe Domberg (Bamberg).

Im 16. Jahrhundert wurde der Palas Heinrichs II. abgebrochen; einige Fensterbogen im Inneren des Renaissanceflügels sind erhalten blieben.

15. Jahrhundert

Unter Fürstbischof Philipp von Henneberg (1475–1487) wurden der südöstliche und der östliche Flügel erbaut. Das Wappen von Henneberg befindet sich über dem rückwärtigen Eingangstor. Bemerkenswert sind die bemalten Traufbretter unter den Regenrinnen.

Unter der Regierung seines Nachfolgers Fürstbischof Heinrich III. Groß von Trockau (1487–1501) vernichtete ein Brand den Küchentrakt der Hofhaltung. Dies hatte zur Folge, dass in der Regierungszeit Heinrichs III. dieser Bauteil neu erbaut wurde. Über dem Eingangstor der Nordseite befindet sich eines der schönsten erhaltenen Wappen in Bamberg.

16. Jahrhundert

Unter der Regierung von Fürstbischof Veit II. von Würtzburg (1561–1577) wurden Teile des Palas aus der Zeit von Kaiser Heinrich II. abgebrochen oder in den Renaissancetrakt integriert. Das Gebäude wurde ab 1570 unter Leitung von Erasmus Braun, der sich unterhalb des Erkers selbst verewigt hat, in der heutigen Form errichtet. An dem Erker sind unterhalb der Fenster Wappen von Adelsgeschlechtern eingemeißelt. Die Fassade des Renaissancegebäudes war ursprünglich farbig gefasst.

Als repräsentativen Eingang schuf Bildhauer Pankraz Wagner 1573 die „Schöne Pforte“. Das Relief Marias wird flankiert von Heinrich und Kunigunde, die hinter der Muttergottes ein Dommodell halten. Es zeigt den Dom im Detail, wie er bis 1764 aussah. Weiter außen sind links der heilige Petrus und rechts der heilige Georg und daneben zwei Bischöfe, der heilige Otto und wahrscheinlich Kilian, der „Apostel der Franken“, dargestellt. Die liegenden Figuren zu beiden Seiten symbolisieren Main und Regnitz, die beiden Flüsse der Stadt. Auf diesem Relief bekrönt das Würzburger Wappen das zwischen dem Renaissancetrakt und der „Hohen Warte“ eingeschobene Eingangsportal.

18. Jahrhundert
Die Hofhaltung wurde im Jahr 1777 durch den Abbruch der den Hof teilenden Gebäude, insbesondere des Langschiffes der Thomaskapelle, den Teilabbruch der Hohen Warte und den Abbruch der achteckigen Andreaskapelle am Anfang der Domgasse stark verändert. Heute betritt man die Domgasse durch den vormaligen Innenraum der abgebrochenen Andreaskapelle.

Heutige Nutzung des Baukomplexes und des Innenhofes

1938 wurde im Renaissance-Bau das Fränkische Heimatmuseum (ab 1957 Historisches Museum Bamberg) eingerichtet. Bis 1961 waren im Süd- und Westflügel der spätgotischen Fachwerkbauten Wohnungen untergebracht. Nach dem Brand der Burg Trausnitz in Landshut am 21. Oktober 1961 wurden die Wohnungen im Eilverfahren geräumt. Bereits zu dieser Zeit entstand die Planung, den gesamten Komplex in Museumsräume umzugestalten, was bereits zur 1000-Jahr-Feier der Stadt Bamberg 1973 umgesetzt sein sollte. Die Fertigstellung zog sich allerdings bis in die 1990er Jahre hin.

Für die Veranstaltung des 85. Katholikentages in Bamberg 1966 wurde die Bauhütte der Dombauhütte im Eselstall zugunsten einer Ehrentribüne abgebrochen. Die Werkstatt der Dombauhütte wurde zunächst im südlichen Trakt des Henneberg-Flügels untergebracht, bevor sie ihr jetziges Domizil beziehen konnte.

Zur 1000-Jahr-Feier 1973 wurden erstmals Calderon-Festspiele im Innenhof dieser ehemaligen fürstbischöflichen Residenz aufgeführt.

Der Innenhof wird auch als gesellschaftlicher Treffpunkt bei verschiedenen Feiern und Veranstaltungen des Erzbistums Bamberg genutzt.




Alte Hofhaltung

The Altenburg is a castle that sits on the tallest of the seven hills of Bamberg, southern Germany, overlooking the town. It is located in Upper Franconia, a region in the state of Bavaria, and dates back to at least 1109.

The first mention of the Altenburg was in 1109, although it is likely that it was built on the spot of an earlier palisade castle.

It first served as what is known is German as a "Fliehburg". This is a castle that was not regularly inhabited, but served mainly for city defense as a place where local residents could flee to in times of danger.

In 1251, the Bamberg "Fürstbischöfe," the sovereign bishops of Bamberg, acquired the castle. From 1305 to 1553, it was the residence of the bishops.

In 1553, during the Second Margrave War, the army of Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, burned the castle down. Afterward the castle was used as a prison for a while.

In 1801, the Bamberg physician Adalbert Friedrich Marcus acquired the decaying castle and restored it from the ground up. The author E. T. A. Hoffmann, who was friends with Marcus, felt so drawn to the castle that he frequently stayed for a long time in one of the wall towers during the years 1808 to 1813.

In 1818, a society for the maintenance of the Altenburg, named the "Altenburgverein e.V. Bamberg," received the castle. The society was founded by Anton von Grafenstein, the postmaster of Bamberg.

Today the castle is open for public tours. There is also a restaurant in the castle called the "Restaurant Altenburg." The restaurant also manages the so-called Knights Hall, used mostly for events such as weddings or other celebrations.

From 1952 to 1982, a brown bear named Poldi lived in a Zwinger (a defensive enclosure) in the castle. The Zwinger is still present, but today only houses a stuffed bear.

Quotation from a travel guide from the early 20th century
In his travel guide of Bamberg and its environs around the year 1912, the author Dietrich Amende describes the castle:

Die Altenburg ist das Wahrzeichen Bambergs. Weithin grüßt ihr schlanker Turm in das Fränkische Land. Sie steht auf einem Bergkegel am Rande der Steigerwaldhöhe. Zusammen mit dem gegenüber auf der Jurahöhe sichtbaren Schloß Giech beherrschte sie in vergangenen Jahrhunderten die Mainebene.

— Dr. Dietrich Amende

Altenburg (Bamberg)

Schloss Seehof is a Schloss (palace) in Memmelsdorf, Bamberg, Germany. It was built from 1684 to 1695 as a summer residence and hunting lodge for Marquard Sebastian von Schenk von Stauffenberg, Prince-bishop of Bamberg.

Schloss Seehof is located outside of Memmelsdorf in the district of Bamberg, around 5 kilometers northeast of the town of Bamberg in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany.

Marquard Sebastian von Schenk von Stauffenberg, Prince-bishop of Bamberg enjoyed the rural area around Memmelsdorf. He thus asked Antonio Petrini (de) to replace a local estate from the late 15th century with an early Baroque palace. This was built in 1684-95.

Later redesigns included the White Hall in the west wing, created during the reign of Johann Philipp Anton von Franckenstein in the 1750s.

The palace is located in a large park and stands on a square plan much like Schloss Johannisburg at Aschaffenburg. The four corner pavilions are topped by squat octagonal towers with prominent slate roof hoods featuring pierced ball ornaments. The facades are heavily segmented by large windows (with triangular gables on the ground floor and arches on the upper floor). Each row of windows is supported by a cornice. The inner court features two small clock towers and an arcade that surrounds it on the ground floor on all four sides.

The interior mostly dates from the 1730s. Balthasar Neumann and J.J.M. Küchel were involved in the designs. The palace chapel on the ground floor contains a Rococo altar that was made out of stucco by Antonio Bossi (de) based on a drawing by Küchel. The altar painting is Die Heiligen drei Könige (the Three Magi) by Johann Rottenhammer (ca. 1600). The centre part of the upper floor is occupied by a Baroque flight of rooms with the Rokokosaal in the middle. Its walls were covered by gypsum "marble" and reliefs painted by F.A. Decourt. The ceiling has a painting by Giuseppe Appiani, showing the goddess of the dawn (1752).

The park is today quite different in appearance than originally, when it was laid out during the reign of Lothar Franz von Schönborn in the early 18th century, since the ponds, cascades and fountains were all drained in 1803-6, after the water pipe from the Stammberg  (de) had been cut. Most of the around 400 figures created by the sculptors Ferdinand Tietz, Gollwitzer and Trautmann in the 1760s were destroyed or sold following secularization. Some of these groups are today scattered around the Bamberg area or were taken to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum at Nuremberg. Today, a few have been returned and are on display in the western Orangerie. In the 1960s and 1970s vases and benches were sold off to private buyers. After 1995, the park was restored, including the cascade. Access to the park is by five ornamental wrought-iron gates, flanked by two guard houses which were built by Küchel. The six pillars are topped by lions and vases created by Peter Benkert. The smaller entry from the village is due to B. Neumann and Küchel. The sweeping Orangeries were used by Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim in the 1770s for staging plays. At the time, the guest rooms in the western wing still had a direct view of the Neue Residenz at Bamberg. The park features hornbeam hedges that are over 300 years old and groves of 250-year old linden trees.

The palace is administered by the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes. It is partially open to the public. Most of the building is occupied by the Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege. A total of nine representative period rooms are open to the public. The chapel is available for weddings and some of the palace rooms can be rented for private events.

Schloss Seehof

Schloss Wernsdorf is a medieval castle located in the village of Wernsdorf, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria. The castle also has a small park. The oldest parts of the castle can be dated back to the 12th century.

The castle is the home of the Privaten Akademie für Alte Musik, Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Europas e. V. (the Private Academy for Early Music, Art and Cultural History of Europe), through which the medieval music group Capella Antiqua Bambergensis, under the direction of Wolfgang Spindler, was founded.

Schloss Wernsdorf supposedly stands on the remains of a fortified castle that was built in 790 AD by Charlemagne. This castle was one of the Eckpunkte des Abendlandes (the “cornerstones of the West”), and was on a trade route that led into the Slavic countries. The structure that stands there today was first documented in 1114. The Bishop of Bamberg at that time was the lord of the castle.

In 1620, the Bishop Johann Gottfried I. von Aschhausen further developed the castle. It was then used as a hunting lodge, and had next to it a sheep stall, hops garden and a brewery.

In 1803, the castle chapel and the fortified wall encircling the inner courtyard were demolished. In the following years, the property deteriorated quickly from the inside, due mainly to frequently changing owners, until the royal forester Andreas Eisfelder restored the castle in 1896. After 1945, the castle served as refugee accommodations.

In 1993, the Capella Antiqua Bambergensis bought the property, which had again fallen into poor condition. The timber framing was almost completely destroyed by dry rot and wood worms. The floors were molded, and in several places the ceilings had collapsed. There was no electricity, no sanitation and no heating. After over 30,000 hours of work, the music group re-opened the castle and the park to the public.

The castle today accommodates the Private Akademie für Alte Musik, Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Europas e. V. It serves as the venue for the Capella Antiqua Bambergensis and other medieval music groups. In addition, the following activities are offered:

Lessons on the historical musical instruments of our ancestors for children, adolescents, adults, seniors and entire families
Performance practice courses for ensembles
Lectures on music history and humanities
Lectures on art and cultural history
Courses on historical musical instruments
Courses for the integration of new media in the music research

The Private Akademie was commissioned in 2002 by Bavarian Culture Minister Hans Zehetmair to build a digital documentation center for early music in Bavaria.

In addition to various other awards, Wolfgang Spindler received the Federal Cross of Merit of 2002.

For the specific work in terms of music and social-aspects, the Bavarian government awarded Capella Antiqua Bambergensis a prize, named the Kulturpreis Bayern der E.ON Bayern AG, in 2006.

Schloss Wernsdorf

Lisberg castle - one of the oldest castles in Franconia – was first mentioned in an historical document in 820. Being in possession of the Babenberger family – earls of the region – it has been used as a sanctuary for the people of the Region. Lisberg castle belonged to the Catholic prince bishops of Bamberg and the protestant Markgraves of Ansbach at the same time. Whenever necessary, the people of Lisberg simply changed sides and then evaded destruction, which was the fate of all other 31 castles in the Steigerwald area. The oldest building of the castle is the romantic donjon and the dark awesome prison. The internal castle gate is also of Romanic style. The womens’ house is in Gothic style and the palace is in Renaissance style, built around 1600. The most beautiful rooms are the large kitchen and the great hall which was redesigned by Otto Philipp von Muenster in the year 1776. During the last centuries many noble families occupied the castle. The most important lords of the castle were the Freiherrn of Muenster. Mr. Hans Fischer bought the castle from the last owners of noble origin in 1968 and renovated and revived it with passion and good craftsmanship. Shortly before Hans Fischer's death in 2016 he managed to sell his castle to Johann Sebök, a Bamberg auctioneer and antiques dealer, who now has great new ideas and concepts for this landmark castle.


https://en.bamberg.info

Lisberg castle

The Giechburg is a partly reconstructed hilltop castle located within the city district of Scheßlitz in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. The castle has given its name to a district within the city.

Archeological evidence indicates that this hilltop was fortified as far back as Neolithic times. The castle enters written history in 1125, and its possession thereafter is marked by a succession of wills and bequest documents, punctuated by at least one forcible transfer in 1142. The castle entered the possession of the prince-bishops of Bamberg in 1390, and its history thereafter is closely allied to the bishopric and the city of Bamberg. From 1421 until 1459, a period of disorder associated with the Hussites in nearby Bohemia, the castle was further fortified and strengthened until it took its final form as a mature medieval castle with a keep.

As gunpowder warfare matured, the Giechburg was no longer useful as a strongpoint. It was adaptively reused by the prince-bishops, especially Johann Philipp von Gebsattel, as a hunting lodge and by later prince-bishops as the headquarters of a horse farm. However, with secularization in 1802, the Giechburg no longer had an owner with an interest in maintenance and upkeep. The former castle was used as a quarry for dressed stone, and became a ruin.

The Giechburg was acquired by the district of Bamberg in 1971, and was reconstructed as a conference and hospitality center. Signage describes the history of the castle and the topography of Upper Franconia.

Giechburg

Schloss Weißenstein is a Schloss or palatial residence in Pommersfelden, Bavaria, southern Germany. It was designed for Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, to designs by Johann Dientzenhofer and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. Weißenstein, built as a private summer residence, remains in the Schönborn family. It is considered a masterwork of Baroque art.

Schloss Weißenstein is located in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg in the village of Pommersfelden, Bavaria, Germany.

In 1710, Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, inherited the estate after the local family, the Truchsesse of Pommersfelden had died out. He ordered the construction of a palace as a private summer residence, paid for from his personal wealth. In 1711, he had helped ensure the election of Karl VI who rewarded him with a gift of 100,000 gulden. A team of architects including Johann Dientzenhofer who had previously built the Fulda Cathedral and the church at Kloster Banz and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, the court architect of Emperor Karl VI, worked on the palace. The Marstall (stables) and park were designed by Schönborn's own court architect, Maximilian von Welsch. Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Groenesteyn designed many of the outbuildings. The local head of construction was the Jesuit priest Nikolaus Loyson (1676–1720).

The palace was built between 1711 and 1719 from local sandstone materials, the colour of which gave rise to the name of the palace ("white stone"). The grand stairway was the first such structure built in the Baroque style in Germany. The interior art was finished in 1723. Contributors included Johann Michael Rottmayr, Johann Rudolf Byss and Giovanni Francesco Marchini (de).

After the death of Lothar Franz in 1729, the palace passed to his nephew Friedrich Karl von Schönborn who had the park expanded. A plan by Balthasar Neumann was however, only partially realized. In the early 19th century, the park was transformed from its original Baroque form into an English landscape garden.

During the Seven Years' War the palace was attacked and damaged by Prussian troops.

Minor restoration work was done in the late 19th century. More recently, preservation work has been done between 1975 and 2003.

The main building (corps de logis) is flanked by two wings that open towards the inner courtyard by way of arcades. In the direction of this cour d'honneur the central part of the main building extends quite noticeably, to accommodate the large central staircase. The middle pavilion of the main wing sits on a pedestal-like ground floor and features two full upper floors with high windows. The other parts of the building have only one main floor and one mezzanine floor, with the exception of the pavilions sitting at the end of the two wings, which have two main floors and one mezzanine floor (the latter housing the guest rooms). All the facades are covered by light gray sandstone, sculptures and window frames are made from yellow-greenish sandstone.

The triangular gable of the main building on the garden front with its coat of arms of the Schönborns has been carved from the same material. Colossal statues of Endymion and Diana flank the gable. It is ornamented by two figures, one holding a sheaf, the other a horn of plenty. All of these were likely made by Nikolaus Rösch. The gable is topped by a statue of Atlas holding up the sky.

The gable facing the cour d'honneur also has the family coat of arms, flanked by lions and crowned by Mercury. To the left is a figure of Athena, a symbol of peace and science, to the right is a warrior with spear and torch, symbolizing the just-ended War of the Spanish Succession. The gable also shows a lute player and a figure holding another Schönborn coat of arms.

There are four sculpture groups (sandstone) in front of the ground floor of the main pavilion, two each on the garden and the courtyard side. They were likely made by Burkard Zammels, who worked here in 1718-20. On the garden front, the statues show Pluto and Proserpina on the left and Apollo and Daphne on the right. On the cour d'honneur side, the figures are somewhat obscure and have been interpreted as allegories of Justice & Victory and Vigilance & Truth. A carved dog wears a collar with the initials "LFC", referring to the builder, Lothar Franz Churfürst.

The grand staircase extends through all three floors of the main pavilion. As suggested by Hildebrandt, galleries overlook the stairwell on both upper floors. The large ceiling fresco by Johann Rudolf Byss (1713), who later became the director of the palace gallery of paintings, shows the four then known continents, around a central sun wagon of Phoebus Apollo. Sculptures (Jupiter, Juno, Urania and Cosmos) were made by Zammels. The vases, putti and pair of children are by P. Benkert and his workshop. Stucco work was done by Daniel Schenk. Painted railings that extend the real architectural features are by Marchini.

He also was responsible for Trompe-l'œil work in the Gartensaal flight of rooms on the ground floor, accessed between the two flights of stairs. His work is in evidence in both side halls. To the west he created an image of Ionic columns flanking views of an ideal Italian landscape under a sky populated by Flora and Pomona floating on clouds. To the east, painted columns give views of angels who face a "collapsing" entryway. The central hall has a ceiling fresco showing the allegorical "times of the day" by Johann Jakob Gerbhardt. The room had been turned into a grotto by Georg Hennicke, who applied semi-precious stones and seashells to the walls. He also added various animal and putti figures. The four larger-than-life stucco statues of the four elements were made by Zammels.

On the first floor is the main hall of the palace, the Marmorsaal (marble hall), also facing the garden. Pilasters and columns of red stucco marble are set off from green walls. Situated on sills are stucco figurines by Zammels, showing allegories of the Turkish and Persian monarchies on the inner wall and of the Roman and Greek monarchies on the outer wall. In the corners, the Four Ages are depicted. The ceiling fresco by Franz Michael Rottmayr shows Aurora greeted by Juno, Venus and Dionysus. In the center of each wall a virtue is shown: Justice, Strength, Industry and Wisdom. Stucco work by Daniel Schenk shows putti, vases and eagles.

The right wing contains the palace gallery of paintings and its library, with stucco work by D. Schenk and G. Hennicke after 1713. Schönborn had collected a large number of paintings by contemporary artists, many of them Dutch, that were hung in up to four vertical rows, completely covering the gallery walls. He especially treasured painting of members of his family, of the Habsburgs and other rulers and rare animal motives. Schönborn also collected East Asian porcelain delivered to him en masse by members of the Jesuits whom he supported. Other collections include Faiences made in Delft, glass and sea shells.

The palace chapel features three important works of art: an Italian Lamentation of Christ (17th century), a Man of Sorrows from Spain (ca. 1730) and a late-Gothic Mother of God.

The Marstall is located to the south of the cour d'honneur and is connected to the side wings of the palace by wrought-iron railings. Built by Johann Dientzendorffer based on plans by Maximilian von Welsch 1714-7 it has a concave front facing the courtyard. It was constructed with one floor less than originally intended. The Marstall features double columns adorning the central part which is topped by a clock tower. Below this is an oval hall, the ceiling with a fresco of Perseus and Andromeda by G.F. Marchini.

Construction of the formal garden was begun by von Welsch in 1715. After 1722, on the suggestion of his nephew Friedrich Carl, Schönborn summoned Abraham Huber from Salzburg, who by 1723 had the fountains running. The statuary was added only after Lothar Franz' death in 1741. The linden avenue was planted in 1768 with 200 linden trees from the Aischer Wald. Transformation of the formal Baroque garden into an English landscape garden began as early as 1786 under Hugo Damian Erwein von Schönborn-Wiesentheid (de) and was completed in the 19th century.

The Schloss remains the property of the Schönborn family. It is considered a Baroque masterwork and the combination of exterior and well-preserved interiors gives it European importance.

The palace and its park are open to the public. The Marstall and Orangerie today house a hotel (currently closed).

The palace contains the largest private Baroque art collection in Germany, containing over 600 pictures. Baroque and Renaissance artists represented include Peter Paul Rubens, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Rembrandt and Anthony van Dyck.

Schloss Weißenstein

Burgellern Castle is a castle located in a village called “Burgellern” near Bamberg in Franconia, Germany. The former residence of Bamberg's cathedral chapter of the 18th century is today offering a Hotel and a Restaurant.

History

The benediction of the castle's chapel in 1342 is the earliest source of information that relates to a medieval castle belonging to Konrad of Giech. Further information about owners of the manor or about physical alterations and redevelopment of the building are unknown and remain in the dark until the beginning of the 18th century.

1726 a letter written by the dean of the cathedral of Bamberg Marquard Wilhelm Count of Schönborn is documenting the rebuilding of Burgellern Castle as residence of the chapter. Several stays during the following years witness his preference for the castle.

His successor established the administration building of the chapter in the castle grounds in 1772. In November 1802 as a result of the secularisation the estate became Bavarian property. Eight years later on May 24th, 1810 the estate was sold by the public administration of Bavaria to the royal merchant Seligmann Samuel Heßlein from Bamberg for the price of 38.025 guilder, who again alienated it to the brother of the last Prince – Bishop of Bamberg General-Lieutenant Leopold Baron of Buseck.

From 1821 on the castle was property of his sons Karl Theodor and Friedrich Carl of Buseck. During the time of their residence some important constructional modifications must have taken place. A lithography of Karl Theodor of Buseck, who was a painter, shows the baroque state of the double-winged structure in 1821. During the 19th century the tall mansard roof was replaced by a mezzanine and a low saddle roof. Afterwards there were classical alterations around the whole castle and in 1839 it received oriental decoration and furnishing inside. Due to a trip to the Orient of the Buseck Brothers and Duke Max in Bavaria in 1838, several parlours and salons were completely decorated with oriental mural and ceiling paintings and furniture. In this time the Bavarian nobles as well as King Maximilian of Bavaria who was friends with the Barons of Buseck, King Ludwig I. of Bavaria and Duke Max, met in Burgellern castle 1853.

As the Buseck brothers died unmarried and childless in 1860 and 1866, the heritage was passed to the son of their sister Caroline of Thünefeld (née Buseck). Rudolf of Thünefeld moved to Burgellern in the years of 1880. He turned the administration building of the chapter into a carriage house and built a pump house located in the castle grounds in 1896. It was established in the style of a romantic small castle and had a serving function in running the fountain in the castle grounds. Rudolf of Thünefeld also died unmarried (April 12th, 1906). The Buseck brothers and Rudolf of Thünefeld are buried in the funeral chapel of the baroque Katharina-Magdalena-Chapel in Burgellern. Afterwards the heritage was passed to the maternal related family of Bodeck who couldn’t hold the highly indebted estate. It was offered for sale piece by piece. A large part of the inventory was sold to the art trade.

1908 the Austrian Senior Lieutenant Gottlieb Hertschik from Altbunzlau in Bohemia who has also been in the Egyptian military service, purchased the castle for 100.000 gold mark and lived there together with his wife Elisabeth Nierstrasz. She engaged the Elisabeth-Hertschick-children's home from 1934 until 1936 the Nazi “Volkswohlfahrt” (welfare of the nation) took over the castle and established the first mother home of the Ostmark. During the Second World War it was an outstation of the state gynaecological hospital and Bamberg was situated in the castle. During this time over 1500 children were born at Burgellern castle.

After the war, 1948–62, a pulmonary sanatorium under the leadership of the lung specialist Dr. Schicht was situated in Burgellern Castle. After years of vacancy the castle was hosting a religious community, the Morija-Mission. Until 1994 the family Topf were running a Christian conference centre in the castle. During the following vacancy the building and the 7ha of castle grounds fell into disrepair.

As the Buseck brothers died unmarried and childless in 1860 and 1866, the heritage was passed to the son of their sister Caroline of Thünefeld (née Buseck). Rudolf of Thünefeld moved to Burgellern in the years of 1880. He turned the administration building of the chapter into a carriage house and built a pump house located in the castle grounds in 1896. It was established in the style of a romantic small castle and had a serving function in running the fountain in the castle grounds. Rudolf of Thünefeld also died unmarried (April 12th, 1906). The Buseck brothers and Rudolf of Thünefeld are buried in the funeral chapel of the baroque Katharina-Magdalena-Chapel in Burgellern. Afterwards the heritage was passed to the maternal related family of Bodeck who couldn’t hold the highly indebted estate. It was offered for sale piece by piece. A large part of the inventory was sold to the art trade.

1908 the Austrian Senior Lieutenant Gottlieb Hertschik from Altbunzlau in Bohemia who has also been in the Egyptian military service, purchased the castle for 100.000 gold mark and lived there together with his wife Elisabeth Nierstrasz. She engaged the Elisabeth-Hertschick-children's home from 1934 until 1936 the Nazi “Volkswohlfahrt” (welfare of the nation) took over the castle and established the first mother home of the Ostmark.[3] During the Second World War it was an outstation of the state gynaecological hospital and Bamberg was situated in the castle. During this time over 1500 children were born at Burgellern castle.

After the war, 1948–62, a pulmonary sanatorium under the leadership of the lung specialist Dr. Schicht was situated in Burgellern Castle. After years of vacancy the castle was hosting a religious community, the Morija-Mission. Until 1994 the family Topf were running a Christian conference centre in the castle. During the following vacancy the building and the 7ha of castle grounds fell into disrepair.

Burgellern Castle


Castle Reichmannsdorf was built in 1714 on behalf of the family von Schrottenberg. The baroque façade of the castle clearly suggests that it contributes an exciting story with them. In its 300 years of history Castle Reichmannsdorf has already produced many strong personalities.

1642 the so-called Truchsess-Castle was destroyed by fire. Johann Dientzenhofer built in its place 1714 until 1719, according to the plans of his brother Leonhard, for Wolf Philipp von Schrottenberg a Castle as a three-wing building with an richly decorated face side, a tall mansard divided roof and a powerful crest gable.

The village Reichmannsdorf was mentioned already in 1303. Wolf Philipp von Schrottenberg bought in the late 17th century a large part of the community hall. From Thuringian porcelain painter Gottlieb Ehrengott Gottrecht was established with the support from family von Schrottenberg a porcelain manufaktory that existed from 1790 until 1867.

The Lindner Hotel Schloss Reichmannsdorf was inaugurated on 23 of September in 2011. The hotel´s Castle and Park invites you to stroll, walk and relax and offers you the possibility of playing golf on our 18-holes course.


https://www.hotel-reichmannsdorf.de